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Emerald ash borer found in Wright County

September 13, 2018

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced today that emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found for the first time in Wright County. The infested trees are located on highway 24 at the Travel Plaza just of off I-94 which is about 15 miles south of St. Cloud.

Quarantine in effect

An emergency
quarantine has been enacted to reduce the risk of further spreading this
invasive insect.

S-shaped EAB galleries,
one of the
symptoms of
an infested tree. Photo:
Jeff Hahn, U of M Ext.

EAB was first found in
Minnesota in 2009.With this finding,
there are now 17 Minnesota counties that have discovered EAB.Nationally, this invasive insect was found in
2002 and is now found in 36 states.

Where is EAB in MN?

Although Wright County is directly adjacent to Hennepin County, the nearest known EAB infestation is about 40 miles away in Champlin. On their own, EAB can only travel a mile or two each year. For EAB to reach Clearwater, it was undoubtedly transported in infested ash wood, like firewood.

How can we stop the infestation?

MDA reminds us that there are three easy steps we can take to keep EAB from spreading:

· Be aware of the quarantine restrictions. If you live in a quarantined county, be aware of the restrictions on movement of products such as ash trees, wood chips, and firewood; and,

· Watch your ash trees for infestation. If you think your ash tree is infested, go to www.mda.state.mn.us/eab and use the “Do I Have Emerald Ash Borer?” guide. Suspect infestations can be reported to MDA’s Arrest the Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us.